Rotating internal contact miniature switch



ROTATING INTERNAL coNTAcT MINIATURE SWITCH Filed March 15, 1956 Dec. 24,1957 w. R. EDWARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig INVENTOR WILL /AM 1?. EDWARDSATTORNEYS Dec. 24, 1957 w. R. EDWARDS 2,817,721

ROTATING INTERNAL CONTACT MINIATURE SWITCH Filed March 15, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 F i9. 8 INVENTOR WILLIAM R. EDWARDS United States PatentROTATING INTERNAL CONTACT MINIATURE SWITCH William R. Edwards,California, Md.

Application March 15, 1956,ScrialJNo. 571,843

r 4 Claims. (Cl.-200--6) (Granted under Titie 35, U'.'S.'Code (1952),sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used byor for the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any-royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to a multiple position miniature internalcontact rotary switch adapted for panel installation and which may beused to control aplurality of electric circuits.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a miniature rotaryswitch of the character described which is of simple construction andfew parts and that may be easily and inexpensively manufactured.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a miniaturerotary switch of the character described which is'of compact sizeparticularly adapted for applications where space is limited.

It is a further object of the present invention to'provide a'miniaturerotary switch of the character described that is of sturdy constructionto provide reliable, troublefree operation.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the presentinvention will be readily appreciated asthe same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical section of a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a section of the contact housing and actuator along line 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section of a second embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 4 is a section of the contact housing and actuator along line 44 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section of a third embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 6 is a section of the contact housing and actuator along line 66 ofFig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a partial vertical section of a fourth embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 8 is a section along line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a section of the contact housing and actuator along line 99 ofFig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown in Fig. 1 a cup shaped, insulative, contact housing,generally indicated by the reference numeral 11, having a disc shapedend portion 12, and a threaded tubular portion 13. Peripheral stationarycontacts 14, of palladium coated wire, for example, are imbedded in andcircumferentially spaced about the interior surface of tubular portion13. An axial contact is accommodated by end portion 12. A cylindricalactuator of insulative material, generally indicated by referencenumeral 16, has a handle portion 17, a central portion 18 of enlargeddiameter provided with a transverse bore 19, and an end portion 20rotatably received within contact housing 11. One face of central ICEportion 18 abuts die rim of contacthousing 11. A rectangularly shapedspring contact21,preferably formed from palladium wire, is locatedin arectangular groove or notch 22 in endportion20. Springcontact21resiliently engages axial contact 15 andisselectivelyandresilientlyengageable with peripheral contacts 14 upon rotation ofactuator 16. .All contactsurfaces are. preferably rhodium plated. Asleevee23- encompasses central portion 18 and a part of tubularportion1'3. Sleeve 23 is provided withsa flange. Mabuttingthe OthfiLfElCC ofcentral portion 18. A pin 25. passes transversely through sleeve23 andengages tubular portion 13-whereby relative longitudinal displacementofcontact housing 11 and actuator 16is prevented. Sleeve 23.hasformedtherein {'li plurality of circumferentially spaced. indentations.26 lying in the plane or bore 19. Indentations 26 equal in numberperipheral contacts 14 and are oriented therewith. A spring pressed balldetent is. located .in bore 19 and is engageable with indentations 26whereby actuator 16 may be. resiliently retained in eachof a pluralityof contact engaging positions. Contact housing 11 may be passed throughan aperture of suitable diameter in a mounting panel (shown in dottedlines) .and. retained therein by a nut 27.

The embodiment of tthe invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar tothe embodiment showninFigs. l and 2, but, the vend portion 40.ofactuator. 36 has been modified to accommodate a spring contact 41 havinga straight central portion 42 and areuate end portions 43 and 44, whichlatter lie on the cylindricalsurface of end portion 40. Spring contact41 is in a plane perpendicular to the axis of actuator 36. End portions43, 44 are each of sufiicient length to bridge two ormore of peripheralcontacts 34.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, tubularportion 53 of contacthousing 51 is'of'a length sufiicient to accommodatea'plurality of circumferentially spaced rows of contacts'54. Each row'ofcontacts 54 lies in a plane which includes the axis of contacthousing 51. End portion 60 of actuator 56 has been modified toaccommodate a spring contact 61 having a straight central portion 62 andstraight spaced parallel end portions 63 and 64 which lie in a planeincluding the axis of actuator 56. Contact end portions 63, 64 are of alength sufiicient to bridge all of the contacts of any of the peripheralrows of contacts 54. While no axial contact has been shown, end portion52 of contact housing 51 is provided with a recess 55 to accommodate anaxial contact should the inclusion thereof be desirable.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show an embodiment of the invention adapted to controlsimultaneously each of two sets of independent circuits. In addition tospring contact 81, similar in all respects to spring contact 61, theembodiment of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 also includes a second spring contact 61,the embodiment of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 also includes a second spring contact91 similar in appearance to spring contacts 61 and 81 but having endportions 93, 94'of increased length which may terminate in retainingfingers 95, 96. Housing 71 is of sufiicient length to accommodate theadditional contact 91. An insulative plug 97 having a slot in one facethereof to accommodate the central portion 92 of contact 91 is providedto electrically separate contacts 81 and 91. In an alternative form ofconstruction, end portion of actuator 76 may be provided with tworespectively perpendicular slots in the face thereof with one slot beingof greater depth than the other.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A miniature rotary switch comprising: a cup shaped contact housingprovided with a plurality of contacts circumferentially spaced about theaxis of said housing on the interior surface of the depending portionthereof, said contacts each comprising a wire end embedded in saidhousing, a central contact comprising a wire end embedded in the bottomportion or" said housing on the axis thereof, an actuator having one endthereof rotatably received by said contact housing, resilient contactmeans supported by said actuator adjacent said one end in contact withsaid central contact and selectively engageable with saidcircumferentially spaced contacts upon rotation of said actuator, saidactuator having an enlarged central portion provided with a transversebore and having a face abutting the rim of said contact housing, aspring and ball detent means in said bore, a sleeve encompassing saidenlarged central portion and at least a portion of said contact housing,said sleeve having a flange abutting the other face of said enlargedcentral portion remote from said contact housing, and a fastener elementextending transversely of said sleeve and engaging said contact housingwhereby relative longitudinal displacement of said contact housing andsaid actuator is prevented, said sleeve being provided with a pluralityof circumferentially spaced indentations in the plane of said spring onball detent means and oriented with respect to said plurality ofcontacts whereby said actuator may be resiliently retained in each of aplurality of contact engaging positions.

2. A miniature rotary switch comprising: a cylindrical cup shapedcontact housing provided with an axial contact in the end portionthereof and a plurality of circumferentially spaced contacts on theinterior surface of the tubular portion thereof, a cylindrical actuatorhaving one end thereof rotatably received by said contact housing, arecess provided in said one end of said actuator in a plane includingthe axis of said actuator, and a resilient contact member in said recessin engagement with said axial contact and selectively engageable withsaid circumferentially spaced contacts upon rotation of said actuator,

said resilient contact member comprising a spring contact member havingtwo pairs of straight, spaced, parallel sides with at least two of saidsides being perpendicular to each other.

3. A miniature rotary switch comprising: a cylindrical cup shapedcontact housing provided with a plurality of circumferentially spacedrows of contacts disposed on the interior surface of the tubular portionof said contact housing, said rows of contacts lying in planes includingthe axis of said contact housing, a cylindrical actuator having one endthereof rotatably received by said contact housing, and a resilientcontact means supported by said actuator adjacent said one end andselectively engageable with said circumferentially spaced rows ofcontacts upon rotation of said actuator, said resilient contact meanscomprising a spring wire contact member having a straight centralportion and spaced parallel end portions perpendicular to said straightcentral portion, said end portions lying on the cylindrical surface ofsaid actuator in a plane including the axis of said actuator.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein: said resilient contact meansfurther comprises a second spring wire contact member having aconfiguration identical to said first mentioned spring contact member,the end portions of said second spring contact member lying on thecylindrical surface of said actuator in a plane including the axis ofsaid actuator and perpendicular to the plane of said first mentionedspring contact member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,289,595 Alsop Dec. 31, 1918 1,499,236 McMillan June 24, 1924 2,028,587Brustlein Ian. 21, 1936 2,498,805 Gurevsky Feb. 28, 1950 2,503,287 MooreApr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 235,724 Germany June 19, 1911 330,269Germany Dec. 10, 1920 674,176 Great Britain June 18, 1952 U. S.DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentNo. 2,817,721 December 24, 1957 William R, Edwards It is herebycertified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered patent requiring correction and that the said Let uers Patentshould read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 16, for "or" read of lines 53, 54, and 55, strikeouttgrne embodiment of Figs '7, 8 and 9 also includes a second springcon- Signed. and sealed this 1st day of April 1958.

(SEAL) Atfiest:

L KAR H AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Gonmissioner ofPatents U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent ,721 December 24, 1957 William Ra Edwards It is herebycertified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered patent requiring correction and that the said Let oers Patentshould read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 16, for "or" read of lines 53, 54, and 55, strikezutt'lgie embodiment of Figs 7, 8 and 9 also includes a second springcon-- ac I Signed. and sealed this let day of April 1958,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL Ha AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

